Three Demons, One Pain
by Moon Lily91
Summary: She's a jinchuuriki from Kiri who suffers from the misery of having a "lesser" demon sealed in her. However, she accepts a mission that will save her from the suffering and herself. Rewrite chapter 2 up! GaaraOC pairing.
1. The Beginning

Three Demons, One Pain

"_Oh, I hope they're healthy!" said Kasumi, her voice sounding both excited and nervous at the same time._

_She was a slender woman, looking hale and hearty despite her swollen abdomen. Her hair was an icy blue color that was kept at shoulder length, the two pieces closest to her face grown rather long. Her violet eyes shone with happiness and recklessness, hiding any hidden ambitions she may have. She wore a loose-fitting dress that ended at her knees to better accustom her large belly, an obvious sign that she was pregnant._

"_I'm sure they will be fine," said Ichiro, his voice calm, a huge contrast to his wife's vitality. "They were well last month."_

_He was tall, which was especially noticeable when he was with Kasumi. His hair was a rich black that was short and rather messy. His eyes were charismatic amber, which made him seem capable of being friends with almost anyone. He wore a white shirt with a gray jacket along with blue pants._

"_Yeah, I have a feeling they're okay," she said, turning around so that she was walking backward. "It's still so surprising that we're having twins!"_

"_Kasumi, walk properly. I don't want you to hurt yourself."_

_She turned, twirling her white dress with red-orange flowers, and smiled at him._

"_You're always so overprotective," she criticized, sticking her tongue out playfully at him. "I can take care of myself. I did it before and I can still do it."_

"_Of course, but it's always nice to know that someone cares about you and your safety."_

_Kasumi blushed and took his hand in hers, resting her head against his upper arm being that he was so tall. "I love you," she said softly, loud enough for only him to hear. "I love you, too," he replied. They arrived at the hospital and went in together. The pair walked up to the desk, causing the nurse sitting there to look up. The nurse smiled at them and said, "Here for another check-up?"_

"_What else would I be here for?" asked Kasumi._

"_Childbirth?"_

"_Ooh, good one," laughed Kasumi, making the nurse chuckle._

"_Well, have a seat and I'll let you know when the doctor is ready to see you."_

_The couple sat down on some uncomfortable chairs, trying their best to be as patient as possible._

"_It's good that some people have senses of humor, especially when they work in sometimes depressing places," said Kasumi with a small chuckle._

"_And I suppose that undertakers should make funerals more cheerful and comedic?" asked Ichiro with a tone that suggested that he already knew the answer._

"_No, I suppose not," she said begrudgingly._

"_Have you...Thought of any names?"_

"_No, not yet. What about you?"_

"_I would like Noboru for a boy."_

"_That's a nice name, but it leaves us to think of one for a girl."_

"_How about you decide that? I already picked a boy's name."_

"_Yes...Since a woman would have an easier time picking a girl's name," she said tauntingly._

_Before he could say anything back, the nurse came back. "The doctor is ready to see you. Down the hall, second to last door on the right."_

"_Thank you!" said Kasumi with much enthusiasm as she grabbed Ichiro's hand and led him away. He had to admit, for a pregnant woman, she had a lot of energy. He thought she would be too tired to walk anywhere, spending a lot of time in the bathroom, or gorging herself on food. And, at one point, she would say to him, "You bastard! You did this to me!" Or so his late father had once told him. Everything except the last part had happened numerous times before._

_They went inside the room, where they found the doctor holding a clipboard looking through some papers. He put down the clipboard and smiled welcomingly at them._

"_Nice to see the Kamiya family again," he said._

"_Jeez, have you gotten so old that you can't remember our names and have to call us that?" asked Kasumi._

"_Humorous as always, I see."_

"_What are you talking about? You're probably so old that your vision has left you!"_

_The doctor couldn't help but laugh. He pointed at the small bed next to a machine, a signal for her to lie down on there. Kasumi lied down, unbuttoning the small buttons on her dress that was over her stomach. Ichiro stood next to the bed, out of the doctor's way. He put strange thick glop on her exposed stomach and ran a handheld device over it. He watched the screen of the machine intently as did the parents. His face looked perplexed as he stared into the image of the two fetuses on the screen._

"_Excuse me," said the doctor, putting away the device. "I need to take a quick look at something."_

_He walked out of the room, taking the clipboard with him. Kasumi looked up at Ichiro anxiously._

"_Whatever it is, it will turn out all right," he assured her. She nodded, new courage in her violet eyes. They waited for ten minutes, every minute diminishing Kasumi's bravery and making her more apprehensive, until the doctor returned. He handed Kasumi paper towels, which she used to wipe off the pelvic glop. She buttoned up her dress and sat up._

"_Is everything fine?" she asked with a trembling voice._

"_Actually, no," said the doctor, looking right at her. "There's a problem with one of the fetuses...The female one."_

_Kasumi's eyes widened in horror at what he said. She felt her heart pound rapidly in her chest. She wanted to ask him what, exactly, was wrong but her voice felt like it had vanished._

"_What's wrong with her?" asked Ichiro, knowing that Kasumi couldn't speak._

"_It is her heart. It isn't developing the way it's supposed to. At this stage in gestation, her heart is underdeveloped."_

"_Is...Is there anything that we can do?" asked Kasumi in a low voice._

"_There _are_ options. However, I don't think you'll like them. One thing we can do is to terminate-"_

"_NO!!" yelled Kasumi. The sudden outburst made both Ichiro and the doctor jump._

"_Another option is that we undergo surgery," continued the doctor. "The chances of her survival are slim after the process."_

"_What if we do nothing at all?" asked Ichiro, hoping that this option would be more acceptable to Kasumi._

"_If we do nothing," replied the doctor. "She won't live past the age of four. I'm sorry, but that's all that we can do now. I would appreciate an answer by the next few days so we can be prepared."_

_He walked out, leaving the both of them alone. Kasumi burst into tears, burying her face in her hands. Ichiro sat down next to her and held her close, trying to comfort her. He helped her up and led her out, her sobbing drawing the attention of the nurse at the desk. She gave a sympathetic look as they walked out. Once they were outside, Kasumi did her best to control herself._

"_Will you be okay?" asked Ichiro with concern. She wiped her cheeks and eyes with her right hand, drying the tears._

"_I think so," she replied. "But my baby won't be okay."_

"_I know. Look, I have to be somewhere right now. Go home, rest, and think things over. I'll be home in a few hours and then we'll decide what we should do."_

_He kissed her forehead softly then walked away. She watched him silently until he was gone from her view. She turned her attention towards the way home but she didn't feel like going home at the moment. Instead, she let herself wander, both physically and mentally. She didn't want to think of anything, at least not yet. She just walked with no purpose, no thought, and no emotion. She was brought back to reality when something caught her eye._

_It was a shrine, and a small one at that. A _very_ small one. The only thing within it was a sword. Kasumi could see her reflection in the silver blade and she didn't like what she saw. She saw a helpless woman incapable of protecting her children, inflicting misery upon herself. Fury engulfed her as she continued to stare at the reflection. She walked up to the sword, never taking her eyes off the blade. The hilt of the sword was snow white, a burning red moon in the center. It was propped up by the stand that was used to keep it in place. The sheath of the sword rested beside it._

"_Be careful not to touch it," said a voice. Kasumi looked up and saw an elderly priestess. Her face was wrinkled, especially around the eyes, and her silver hair was tied up in a bun. "Whoever touches this sword becomes enraged for no reason."_

"_No reason?" asked Kasumi, standing up. "That's pretty strange if you ask me."_

"_It is. The person becomes blinded by rage, which leads to destruction."_

"_But why? How can touching a sword drive people into a rampage?"_

"_It is the demon that resides in it."_

"_A demon?"_

"_You haven't lived here long enough, have you?"_

"_Actually, I lived here for almost three years, but I didn't know there was a shrine here."_

"_Well, this shrine _is_ at the edge of the village," said the priestess. "However, almost everyone here knows of the demon. Do you know about the nine bijuu?"_

"_Are you saying...?"_

"_No, this demon isn't one of them. It's a...Lesser demon, I should say. However, a demon is a demon in every respect."_

"_Then why did you mention the tailed beasts?"_

"_It's impolite to interrupt," said the priestess, leaving Kasumi in confusion. "This demon attacked our village one hundred-eight years ago. A brave soul managed to kill it and everyone had thought that was the end. Unfortunately, the demon's soul was left behind to haunt them, assailing the village every night on the full moon. A priest, who was tired of all the destruction, transformed what was left of the demon's body into the sword you see before you. He then sealed away the soul in the sword."_

"_So, why does the demon infuriate people who come into contact with it?"_

"_I'm not so sure but I believe it's because the demon itself is angry."_

"_For being sealed?"_

"_No, I think it's angry for other reasons, reasons that mortals do not know about."_

"_Does this demon have a name?"_

"_Yes, it does. It's Ryuu."_

"_What is Ryuu, exactly?"_

"_Some say a moon spirit, others say a dragon. I'm not sure which but I know a different kind of existence Ryuu has, one that exists through its name. The name itself means dragon, and dragons are known to breathe fire. Fire...A strong element that almost symbolizes rage. An undying ferocity that Ryuu has. Its never-ending fury."_

"_What does Ryuu have to do with the bijuu?"_

"_Nothing. Why did you ask that?"_

"_Because you asked me if I knew the nine tailed beasts!"_

"_Oh, I was just asking."_

_Kasumi looked at the priestess with disappointment, until another thought came into her head._

"_Is Ryuu the only demon residing in Kiri?"_

"_At the moment, yes. Why do you ask?"_

"_It's nothing. Thank you."_

_Kasumi walked out of the shrine and continued onward to her home. She got there in twenty minutes, heading straight to her and Ichiro's room. The house itself wasn't all too large, but of a decent size. She sat down on the bed and looked out the window, admiring the view of the almost eternal mist in the village below. She began to think about what the doctor had told her, trying to find the best choice. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even hear her husband walk in._

"_Are you all right?" asked Ichiro, sitting next to her._

"_Ichiro...I've been thinking about how we can help our baby."_

"_Really? Have you decided to go with the-"_

"_No! I refuse to do any of the 'options' that doctor offered!" she said irritably._

"_I'm sorry."_

"_Its fine," said Kasumi as calmly as she could. "I don't like any of the choices that doctor told us. They all have the possibility of my baby dying. I don't want that. What kind of mother would I be if I let my baby die?"_

_Ichiro didn't say anything just watched her intently._

"_I want to protect both of my children, even from death," she continued._

"_Kasumi, what are you saying?"_

"_I figured out a way to save her."_

"_How?"_

"_You have heard about Ryuu, right?"_

"_Yes, I have, but what does that have to do with anything?"_

"_I want that demon in her."_

"_What!?"_

"_I said that I want Ryuu in her. I'm quite sure that that demon has enough power to heal her."_

"_Kasumi, you do know that sealing a demon within someone will cost someone _else_ their life, right?"_

"_No, I didn't know that."_

"_Well, it's true. I don't think anyone here would be happy to give up their life for something like that, even if it means saving a baby's life."_

"_There _is_ someone. Me."_

"_Kasumi, no! I'm sure we can find some other way."_

"_There is no other way! This is the only way I can save her!"_

"_But I don't want to lose you either!"_

"_It's for the best, Ichiro," said Kasumi with a soft tone. "I'm her only hope of living and I will do anything for my children."_

"_Are you sure you want to do this?"_

"_Yes," she said, looking back at the window. They sat there in silence; the only sound they could hear was their own breathing. For some reason, the thought of a furious demon within her baby girl emerged in Kasumi's mind. She hoped the demon had some mercy in its being. _Some say a moon spirit,_ echoed the priestess' voice in her head out of nowhere._

"_Ichiro," said Kasumi, looking over at him. "I want to name her Tsukiko."_

* * *

"_Is everything in place?" asked Ichiro to everyone in the room. There was he, Kasumi, the doctor, and the priestess who had brought the sword Ryuu was in. It seemed her holy powers kept her safe from the demon's wrath thus making her the only one able to touch the sword._

"_I believe so," replied the priestess, delicately holding the sheathed sword. A cry of pain came from Kasumi, who was sitting on a hospital bed._

"_Her contractions are getting more frequent," said the doctor. "It's almost time."_

_The next hour and a half was nothing but agony for Kasumi as she gave birth to her children. Noboru was born first, and in the next twenty minutes, Tsukiko was born after. Kasumi held her newborns, tears of joy running down her cheeks, mingling with her sweat. Ichiro leaned toward her and kissed her._

"_I'm very proud of you, Kasumi," he told her._

"_Thanks. The pain was completely worth it," she said, looking down at their babies. Noboru had a patch of black hair on his head while Tsukiko had pale blue hair. Kasumi smiled down at them and another tear escaped her eye. She looked up at Ichiro, determination in her eyes._

"_We should perform the jutsu now," she said to him. He nodded and told the doctor to bring in a nurse to get Noboru out of there. As that was being done, Ichiro worked on drawing a certain figure on the ground. Kasumi, with the help of the doctor, walked toward the design and lied down in the center of it. With her were Tsukiko and the sword of Ryuu. The pattern below her began to glow as Ichiro performed the jutsu. Kasumi looked to her left, trying to get one last look at her daughter. _

_She could see a smoky white mist rise from the sword, possibly Ryuu's soul. She drew her attention away from that, doing her best to focus on Tsukiko. She wanted her daughter to be the last thing she saw before leaving the world. The edges of her vision began to fade but Tsukiko remained clear as day to her. Her vision stayed that way until her eyes closed everlastingly._

* * *

Tsukiko woke up, greeted by the blank ceiling above her. She sighed as she sat up, rubbing her eyes from exhaustion. She looked down at the sheets that covered her, taking in every small thread that made the sheet. She pulled the sheets off and got off her bed, walking toward her closet. At the moment, she was wearing a comfortable black tank top and shorts. She picked out what she was going to wear and got changed. When she was done, she went up to her mirror to look herself over.

Her azure hair was mid-back length, the two pieces close to her face grown to shoulder length. She had bangs that lightly covered her forehead, albeit they weren't quite neat. Aside from her unusually colored hair, the lunar marks near her eyes were very distinctive. The marks themselves were in the shape of crescent moons, and were as white as snow. The kimono she was wearing was white with a blue obi around her waist. Her violet eyes quickly scanned her body and when everything seemed fine, she grabbed her headband from her nightstand. She tied the headband, which had Kiri's insignia on it, around her neck.

She presently didn't feel hungry so she walked out of the house. It was cloudy outside, the chance of rain appeared very likely. Well, Tsukiko didn't really care if it rained or not. She would just take a quick stroll before going back home. As she walked, she kept her gaze to the ground, unable to look at anyone who saw her. She was tired of it, tired of seeing their terrified faces whenever they laid eyes on her.

_If you're so tired of it, why not do something about it?_ asked the demon's voice in her mind.

"Like what, exactly?" thought Tsukiko.

_Killing them would be nice._

"It's too early to do something like that."

_All right, but when night falls, you better make up for this...Or else._

"Yes, I know."

She walked back to her house, making her walk shorter than usual. Besides, she was starting to get hungry anyway. When she was inside, she went to the kitchen. In the kitchen was her uncle, who was also looking for something to eat. He wasn't as tall as her father but had the same black hair and a darker shade of amber eyes. He wore a shinobi vest and navy blue pants.

"Tsukiko, I was wondering where you went," he said.

"I only went out for a quick walk," she replied. "It helped me wake up."

"Well, the Mizukage wants you in her office. There's a mission she wants you to do."

"What mission would that be, Jiro?"

"I don't really know but you should go to her office at noon."

Tsukiko didn't say anything back, instead she grabbed an apple and left. She walked to her room, eating the apple as she did so. She then saw her brother walking down the hall, towards her. However, he was looking down at the ground, not daring a look at her. It was as if one look at her would kill him instantly. He walked by her without saying a word. Ever since they were children, he always avoided her, almost finding her presence intolerable. Whenever they were together, he refused to make eye contact with her, much less talk to her.

She finally arrived at her room, locking her door once inside. She lied back down on her bed, eating her apple and staring blankly at the ceiling. She finished her apple and placed the core on her nightstand. She continued to stare at that void wall above, unaware that it was reflecting the hollowness within her, something she couldn't see in her mirror.

* * *

Tsukiko stepped out of the house and headed to the Mizukage's office. It was in a large building, where meetings with the elders would take place. She wasn't quite paying attention to where she was going but she somehow found herself in front of Mei's door. She opened it and walked in, only to be surprised that there were five ANBU there. They all had their own mask on, even though she already knew their identities. Mei herself was looking as lovely as ever, her long auburn hair flowing down and wearing her usual dark blue dress. As always, she had a smile on her face.

"Nice of you to join us, Tsukiko," said Mei from her desk. Tsukiko walked up to Mei's desk, but a little away from the ANBU.

"Well, let's begin," she said. "Tsukiko, I want you to take some messages to Suna and Konoha."

"That's it?" asked Tsukiko, a little surprised by the simplicity.

"Yes, that's it. However, the ANBU here would escort you there."

"And why do I need escorts?"

"They're mainly for keeping you from doing...Unnecessary actions, if you know what I mean."

"Then get someone else to do it. It'll save you the trouble."

"I agree," said an ANBU. "We should get an unproblematic genin to do this mission, not a complex chunin."

Tsukiko didn't like that insult, but kept herself in control. "I'll be leaving then," she said, walking towards the door.

_Don't you dare take another step._

Tsukiko stopped, only three feet away from the door. "What?" she thought.

_Accept this mission. They're obviously daring you to do it anyway._

"I do not want to do this mission. It's foolish."

_I'm interested in it so go accept it! You know very well what happens when you don't listen, don't you, Tsukiko?_

Tsukiko growled silently to herself, giving in to the demon's commands.

"On second thought," she said, turning around to face Mei. "I'll accept this mission. It sounds like a challenge."

"Excellent," said Mei. "You will all leave tomorrow morning at dawn. You're dismissed."

There was the sound of the door slamming as soon as she finished that sentence. Tsukiko had already left the room. She was slightly annoyed that Ryuu had forced her to accept the mission, but what could she do? That demon was the only one other than her family that talked to her. And that meant a lot to her. They couldn't understand how much she needed Ryuu's presence. In return for this "relationship," she had to comply with whatever the demon wanted without question. Just hearing that demon's voice helped keep her sanity.

Her father knew what was going on between her and Ryuu, and had told her not to believe or listen to whatever the demon said. But that was when she was five, when she first heard Ryuu speak to her, and she really needed Ryuu for companionship. Ryuu made her feel less alone. However, it seemed that her own family couldn't see how excruciating loneliness is that one would do almost anything to make it end. They were, after all, fortunate enough to be spared from this misery. Therefore, they didn't know anything about her mentality.

_But I do. I understand you perfectly._

"You're the only one, Ryuu," thought Tsukiko gratefully. "You're all that I need."

_I will always be here for you, Tsukiko. I won't ever hurt you like other people do._

"Of course you won't. I trust you."

_So long as you are obedient, I will diminish the pain you feel._

"I will do as you say."

Ryuu chuckled with contentment. However, Tsukiko didn't pick up the scheming undertone of the quiet laughter.

* * *

It was dawn, and Tsukiko was a little tired to be up so early. Her exhaustion was more from the lack of sleep due to getting up in the middle of the night and doing a certain favor for Ryuu. She sighed because she knew it would probably take a week or so to get to Konoha and Suna. She looked at the five ANBU, who were gathered in a group away from her. Despite the masks they wore, she knew that they weren't exactly happy to have her around. Hell, she could practically feel the hatred in their eyes burning into her, hoping that if they stared long enough, she'd drop dead. Although, she didn't really know why she was asked to do this mission in the first place. She went up to one of the ANBU, looking as impassive as ever.

"Can you tell me why Mei wants me to do this mission?" she asked.

"You really shouldn't question the decisions of the Mizukage," replied the male ANBU rather unkindly.

Tsukiko immediately glared at him, but he seemed unmoved by the gaze.

"We should leave now," interrupted another ANBU.

They all walked away except for Tsukiko. She looked back at the village, wondering if it would be better to leave and never come back. No, because then she would be giving them what they wanted. She wouldn't allow them that satisfaction. Tsukiko then walked away, trailing behind the ANBU ahead of her. At least she could take pleasure in them nervously looking over their shoulders at her, wondering if she'll attack them while their backs are turned. Doing this for a whole week now sounded appealing to her.

And that week went by faster than she thought it would. They were, at first, planning to go to Konoha first, but then decided it was wiser to go to Suna first, then Konoha. However, it was the ANBU that decided. Tsukiko had no say in the decision. Not that it mattered to her; she knew they wouldn't listen to her anyway. There was one thing that bothered her: Ryuu had not told her to attack them. She expected the demon to tell her to do something like that, but she didn't.

"I guess Ryuu isn't as predictable as I thought," thought Tsukiko. "That's a surprise."

Tsukiko looked at her surroundings, guessing they were a considerable distance from Konoha. But it _did_ take three days to get to Suna from Konoha. It had been two days already, and they were nearing the edge of the forest they were in. There was still a long way to go. Suddenly, everyone stopped and looked at her, causing her to stop dead in her tracks.

"What?" she asked, bewildered by their actions.

"This is far enough," said a female ANBU, but more to the others than to Tsukiko.

"What's going on?" she asked again, this time more aggravated.

"We are going to do everyone in the village a favor by getting rid of you," replied the female ANBU.

"But what about the mission?" asked Tsukiko, glaring at all of them.

"The _real_ mission was given to us after you left," said another ANBU, the one who acted coldly to her before they left the village. "The Mizukage ordered us to kill you. Since you have a lesser demon, there's no use for you but causing anguish."

Tsukiko took a step back, but was suddenly attacked by a barrage of kunai. She countered with a wall of water, feeling appreciative that they were in a forest, where there was a lot of water. She was also thankful that moving water required little chakra thanks to Ryuu. However, the water didn't stop the kunai, only slowed them down, but it gave her enough time to dodge them. She shielded herself by running behind a tree. Then, she heard the sound of something burning. "A bomb tag!" her mind screamed, as she quickly brought up more water and freezing it while she ran from the tree. The wall of ice was able to reduce the impact of the explosion.

Tsukiko managed to get away with a few burns. But things were looking a little bleak for her since it's only her against _five_ ANBU. Another barrage of kunai flew at her, pinning her to a tree. A male ANBU walked toward her, holding another kunai in his hand. "This is it for you," he said, slashing her throat with the small dagger. However, instead of blood gushing out, she merely dissolved to water. It then dawned on him what was going on and quickly turned around, only to be gored in the neck by an icicle, falling down forward soon after.

"One down," said Tsukiko quietly to herself. "Four more to go." The sound of a rush of footsteps caused her to quickly move out of the way of a charging ANBU with a katana. It was the female ANBU again, swinging the blade skillfully. Another katana-wielding ANBU appeared from behind her, successfully cutting Tsukiko's left arm. She cried out in pain, and made a column of water. She quickly froze it, making it a double edged sword of ice. The one problem for her was that freezing water required her to use her own body to do so. She used her body to absorb all the heat in the water, causing it to freeze but increasing her body temperature. And doing that required chakra as well. She just hoped that this battle didn't last too long.

She did her best to hinder the blows of the ANBU, but she wasn't as experienced as they were, resulting in her being slashed in many places. They eventually stopped, leaving her breathless and struggling to stand up. "Heh, looks like the demon isn't as formidable as we thought," chuckled the female ANBU. She lifted her katana, ready to strike the final blow, until water encased her arm. Tsukiko forced the water to pull away from the ANBU while still latched on. The outcome was the ANBU's arm being torn off her body.

She screamed in agony as a waterfall of blood poured out of where her arm used to be. She fell to her knees; her remaining arm covering the ghastly wound, her disembodied arm lay on the ground not too far away. The other ANBU dashed at Tsukiko, swinging his katana wildly. Tsukiko brought up her ice sword, trying to obstruct the crazed ANBU. Eventually, however, her sword was sliced in half by a particularly strong strike. She saw him smirk and, in one final attempt, threw one of the broken halves of the ice at him. He easily dodged out of the way.

"That was pathetic," he commented.

"Did I get her?" said Tsukiko, trying to look behind him. The ANBU was puzzled by her statement, but looked back at where Tsukiko was looking at. To his shock, the female ANBU was impaled in the chest by the thrown piece of ice, blood dripping slowly down the pointed end. He angrily looked back at Tsukiko, who had taken a couple of steps back away from him. He tried to walk toward her, to kill her, but found he couldn't move his feet and felt an extreme cold. He wasn't all too surprised that his feet were enclosed in ice.

Tsukiko brought up more water, freezing it into numerous icicles. She then sent them at him, but he effortlessly sliced them. She sent another onslaught of icicles, only to have the same consequence. There was a knowing look in the ANBU's eyes, as if he knew she wouldn't get any farther than this. That look suddenly changed into astonishment when an icicle protruded out of his chest. Tsukiko had managed to materialize an icicle behind him while he was distracted by the lesser icicles. Tsukiko made the ice around his feet melt as he fell down to the ground.

"Okay, that's three already, which means-" Her thought was suddenly interrupted when a thin piece of wire wrapped around her neck. She was forcibly pulled back, struggling to stand up since her knees felt weak from all the fighting. "Not bad, Tsukiko," said the voice behind her, a masculine one. "You would make a fine assassin...If you weren't a monster." He tightened the grasp of the wire around her neck, strangling her. She lifted up her leg and donkey-kicked him, a desperate attempt to escape. Luckily for her, she was successful, causing him to loosen his grip on the wire, and she followed it with a strong blast of water at him.

This knocked him back, freeing her of his clutches. She immediately took in a breath of air, the life-giving gasp actually burning her lungs. Suddenly, she felt a cutting tightness around her wrists. She realized that the ANBU had wrapped other wires around her limbs. "Those hands of yours are proving to be quite a hindrance to us," he said, constricting the wires. "It would make things easier if I got rid of them." Tsukiko could feel the wires cut into her flesh, adding to the many cuts on her body. Her kimono was slowly being drenched in blood from it all. She glared at him, seeing that he was delicately holding the wires in his fingers. Well, it looked like he was holding them delicately, but upon closer inspection, he was clenching them vigorously.

Tsukiko looked down at her wrists, which were trickling blood. She took a deep breath, and water rushed up the wires, freezing into ice as it did so. The ANBU quickly let go of the wires, which were now long thin pillars of ice. Tsukiko quickly smashed them against a tree, and untied the wires around her wrists. She felt a sudden pull around her ankles, causing her to fall on her back. The pull grew stronger, slowly slicing her. She quickly got up and rushed at the ANBU, which surprised him. When she was close to him, she tackled him to the ground, hastily tying the long wires on her ankles around his neck. He began to struggle and thrash about, but she kept her hold, suffocating him. Eventually, his movements ceased and she saw the life in his eyes fade. She untied the wires around her ankles and got up. There was still one last ANBU left.

"Where is he?" she thought, scanning the area quickly. A kunai flew at her, which she quickly dodged. She looked down at the kunai and saw another bomb tag burning rapidly. She ran as fast as she could away from it, the explosion that ensued pushing her with great force. She fell to the floor, scraping her hands raw along the ground. She immediately got back up on her feet, the last ANBU standing before her. This was the same ANBU who acted harshly to her before they left on this long trip.

"Well, I can't say that I saw this coming," he said. "I didn't think you would be able to kill almost all of us. I was hoping _someone_ would kill you."

"I suppose you underestimated me," said Tsukiko, panting heavily.

"True, but you seem to be struggling greatly," he added, observing her closely. "I'll be more than enough to finish you off."

"Before you do, let me ask you something," she said, her body shaking with exhaustion. "If Mei told you to kill me, why didn't you do it earlier? Why waste your time coming all the way out here?"

"That's easy," he replied with a smirk. "If by some miracle you were to survive our attempted assassination, the messages you carry will kill you."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say the messages say something like 'Kill the messenger,'" he leered at her. "But you won't have to worry about that."

He threw more bomb-tagged kunai at her, which she carefully avoided. But the kunai hit a tree behind her, which she soon noticed, and detonated not long after. She had brought up a wall of water for protection, which absorbed most of the force. However, she could feel that she was running low on chakra, being that she used a great deal of it moving water and turning it into ice. Worse yet, she was fatigued from the previous fights and her temperature had increased from ice-making.

"What's the matter," said the ANBU, coming at her with a kunai in his hand. "Tired already?"

She forced her body to move, evading his attacks. He eventually stabbed her in the stomach, knocking the breath out of her. She fell to her knees, gasping from the pain and lack of air. He pulled out the kunai, causing blood to flow out of the wound. Tsukiko looked down at the injury and brought her hands to the wound, hoping that would stop the blood.

"This wasn't all too hard," said the ANBU with a chuckle. "I should have gotten rid of you ages ago."

He looked down at Tsukiko, locating a certain area on the back of her neck. Stabbing her there would end her life in an instant. He was just about to do so until Tsukiko suddenly stabbed him herself in the lower right thoracic region. She quickly pulled away from the attack so he wouldn't counterattack. Although, he was shocked when he realized that she had stabbed with her own bare hands. But her hands weren't hands, they were claws, and her violet eyes were a blazing red color. Those red eyes glared at him furiously as she growled at him, revealing her fangs. She rushed at him again, lashing out at him with her claws.

He eluded her swipes, but was unexpectedly hit with a blast of water. This knocked him down momentarily but immediately got back up in time to avoid Tsukiko's attacks. Icicles came up and flew at him, which he easily deflected with his kunai. He took a quick glance down and saw the disembodied arm of his comrade. He picked up the katana that the arm held, tossing the arm to the side. Tsukiko began to swipe at him again; her claws striking the katana, making it chime with every blow. He skillfully defended himself from her claws, but with her relentlessly attacking, it was difficult to counterattack.

She suddenly drew back, water rising up from the ground. The water froze into an icy blade, which flew right at the ANBU. He managed to stop it, but another blade flew at him close behind the first one. The ice sliced through his left leg, a yell issued forth as he fell. Tsukiko approached him cautiously, her red eyes watching for any small movement. He used the katana to hold himself steady, looking up at her.

"I didn't expect this either," he said, voice trembling slightly. She didn't say anything, staring at him with smoldering eyes. "But neither did you!" he said, opening his vest to reveal numerous bomb tags. She gasped as the tags burned, an explosion blasting with great power in a mere matter of seconds. The trees and grass that were near the detonation burned slowly, dark smoke rising upward. Tsukiko lied on the ground, unconscious and covered in gashes. The smoke and heat made her come to, and she painfully sat up. She took in the scene before her, realizing that the smoke might draw unwanted attention.

She used the last of her chakra to put out the flames with water, but not before tossing the messages into the flames. When that was done, she collapsed to the ground, breathless. Her eyes were back to their normal violet color, the claws and fangs gone. She was grateful that Ryuu had used her own demonic chakra to deal with the ANBU and protect her with ice from the explosion, but she was completely out of chakra. When she regained her breath, she stood up, albeit with difficulty. She felt a strong spasm of pain in her stomach, her hand instinctively covering the source. When she brought her hand away, there was blood on her palm. Her kimono, which was once white, was now dyed crimson from her blood and was torn to shreds.

_You should head towards Suna. It's the closest village._

"You're right about that," thought Tsukiko, walking away from the bloody scene. "They could probably help me."

_Yes, and you wouldn't have to worry about anyone killing you, either._

"I wish they would, though."

_Oh, and why is that?_

"Obviously, no one wants me...And I bet I would make my family's lives less burdensome if I'm gone."

_Tsukiko, you have every right to live as much as anyone else in the world._

Tsukiko didn't respond to that, but kept walking. She used whatever tree that was nearby for support as she walked on. In an hour, she had reached the desert, the vast ocean of sand almost glowing with sunlight. Tsukiko kept going, forcing her legs to keep walking. The intense sunrays blazed down at her, increasing her fatigue. She felt her face, and noticed that her temperature still hadn't gone down. This clearly wasn't looking too well for her. She collapsed again, not bothering to get up from the burning sand.

_What are you doing? Get up!_

"What's the point? Maybe it's better to just die here," thought Tsukiko.

_I said to get up!_

"No, because no one will care if I live or die. It's better this way."

Tsukiko closed her eyes, and allowed herself to drift to unconsciousness, hoping that she won't ever have to wake up again.

* * *

**_Well, that's it for the first chapter of my rewrite. "Going Under" by Evanescence helped provide inspiration for me. Anyway, for any who have read the original story, you can pretty much tell that I've made significant changes. I hope you like the rewrite._**


	2. Waking Up in Suna

Three Demons, One Pain

Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari walked at a steady pace, fast enough for them to get back to Suna in three days but not slow enough for them to take any longer. About two days ago, they had aided Konoha in trying to bring back a shinobi who was leaving the village for the wrong reasons. Unfortunately, they had failed, almost costing their lives. Well, Gaara was the only one who was seconds away from death. Though the mission was a failure, at least they had offered help to Konoha. That seemed to compensate for everything...A little.

They suddenly came to a stop when the forest around them had changed into a scorched wasteland.

"What a change of scenery," commented Kankuro. "It looks like a wildfire did this."

Temari walked away from her brothers, examining every little detail the burnt forest had to offer. It wasn't long before she came across a charred carcass with a hole in its neck. And she wasn't the only one who found seared corpses...Gaara and Kankuro had found the remaining. Two of them had impressive apertures in their chests, one of which was missing an arm that wasn't too far away, and another looked just fine, except for the obvious reason of death. Temari crouched down near the corpse she found and carefully turned it over. The mask the corpse wore was a dead giveaway that they were ANBU.

Lucky for her, the mask wasn't completely singed, the symbol of Kiri easily identifiable. She got up and walked back to her younger brothers.

"They're ANBU from Kiri," she said, looking at the other corpses. "Why are they here?"

"It doesn't matter now. They're dead, aren't they?" said Kankuro, already walking away.

"No, there's one more," said Gaara, looking at a certain path. On the ground nearby, where the grass was still lush, was a trail of blood. Whoever left it behind must have been bleeding a great deal.

"Hm, either they were trying to escape," Temari speculated. "Or survived whatever happened here and were seeking help."

All three continued on, following the somewhat fresh blood. As they walked, they noticed that the trees that were near the bloody trail had dried palm prints of blood on their trunks. They eventually reached the desert, the sun still high in the sky. In the distance, there was a collapsed figure on the ground. They rushed over, wondering if it was already too late to even save whoever it was. When they approached, they saw that it was a girl collapsed on the ground. The kimono she wore was torn in numerous places and saturated with her own blood.

Temari bent down and put her forefingers on a specific area of the girl's neck. She looked up at her brothers with some surprise.

"She's still alive," she told them.

* * *

Tsukiko slowly began to come to, wondering why she had not seen the proverbial bright light at the end of a dark tunnel. Upon seeing her surroundings, she instantly knew why. She was laying on a bed in a room...A hospital room, and it was dark. She carefully sat up, feeling every ounce of pain that the slightest movement caused. She looked at her arms, which were bandaged with white wraps. She lifted the sheet that was covering her, taking a look at the rest of her body. She was wearing her tank top and shorts; the top had a gash in the midsection, where she was stabbed, and the shorts had slices here and there, nowhere revealing.

Under all the cuts and tears of her clothes, she was bandaged up, along with her legs. She looked around for her kimono and saw it folded up on a chair. She swung her legs over the bed, growling from the pain, and took a deep breath. She slowly lowered her feet to the ground until her feet were lightly touching the ground. She gradually began to put her weight on her legs, and then suddenly pushed away from the bed, forcing herself on her feet. She gasped at the pain, realizing that it was from both her injuries and soreness from all of the fighting.

She forced herself to take a step, earning a jolt of pain that ran up her leg and into her stomach. The chair seemed so far away now. She forced another step and continued, each step as excruciating as the last. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally made it to the chair. She picked up her kimono, only to be disappointed. In the darkness, she couldn't see the blood on it, and that it was in no condition to be worn. She also found her headband on the chair, hiding under the kimono. She sighed as she threw the shredded kimono in a nearby trash can. She then looked to a nearby window, and painfully walked toward it.

Outside, she could see buildings that were very different from the ones in Kiri. It was very evident that she was in Suna, and that it was night; the full moon was in the center of the dark starlit sky, shining its pale light to the world under it.

"How the hell did I get to Suna?" she thought with bewilderment.

'_By some miracle,' or so that ANBU had said, _replied Ryuu.

"Don't remind me."

_It seems like its midnight or so, which might mean that you've been unconscious for hours._

"What do you mean 'might'?"

_I'm not your personal clock. But, it definitely feels like you've been sleeping for a long time. Hm, a normal person probably wouldn't wake until a couple days later, if they went through the same thing you did._

"I'm not, exactly, normal."

_Of course you're not._

Tsukiko looked out the window again, taking in the view of Suna. It was completely different from Kiri, but it was beautiful in its own unique way. A sigh escaped her mouth as she thought about the previous events. Those ANBU wanted to kill her because they personally thought the village would be better off without her. Her father was constantly stressing out about her actions and yet still made it seem like everything was fine. And her own brother didn't want anything to do with her.

"It's all so clear now," she thought, opening the window. "Everyone's lives would be easier if I just disappeared."

_Tsukiko, what are you doing!?_

"Getting rid of my existence," she answered back as she looked down over the windowsill. It was a suitable drop down, the possibility of death seemed very likely if she didn't do anything to hinder the imminent fall. She looked up, which confirmed her suspicions that she was on the top floor.

_Stop, Tsukiko! You don't know what you're doing!_

"I've never been surer of anything," she thought, climbing up on the windowsill with difficulty. She took a look down, gathering her courage before she had any second-thoughts. She could feel her heart pound with adrenaline as a cool breeze blew by. She took a step forward, straining as she did so.

"What are you doing?" said a calm voice. The voice came up so unexpectedly that it scared Tsukiko, causing her to lose her balance. Luckily, she grabbed on to the side of the building and the window. Why she had done that, she did not know, but she was quite irritated that she had been scared.

"You idiot! What the hell do you think you're doing sneaking up on me like that!?" she yelled to the source of the voice, which was above her. A red-haired boy with turquoise eyes, who looked like he was wearing what looked like a maroon coat, was staring down at her. The source turned out to be Gaara, who was sitting on the ledge above her and looked slightly displeased by the insult. Nevertheless, he still answered her.

"For someone who was on the verge of death, I didn't think it was wise for you to be up."

"Oh? And why do you care?"

"My older siblings and I found you, and I don't want it to be in vain."

"Don't I feel lucky," she said with sarcasm.

"You're ungrateful about it. Why is that?"

"It's...Nothing," she said, then realized how needlessly rude she was. She used what little energy she had left to jump up on the ledge above her, struggling greatly to get up.

"You're exhausted," said Gaara, watching her breathe heavily from the effort.

"Don't worry about it," she said, trying to regain her breath. "I'll feel better by tomorrow."

"What exactly happened to you and the ANBU in the forest?"

"That was just a misfortunate event," she said, looking down at the village below. She was waiting for him to ask any more questions but he remained silent.

_He's not very social, is he? Oh, and you didn't even give your name. That's rather impolite of you._

"I'm Tsukiko," she said, looking back at Gaara. "You?"

"Gaara," he replied.

"So...Um, thanks for saving me. I should have been more thankful and I'm sorry for being so rude earlier."

He didn't say anything, but stared at the village. Tsukiko waited for him to say that he accepted her apology, getting frustrated from the quietness.

"Do you accept my apology or what?" she asked, doing her best to keep her voice even.

"Yes," he said, not looking at her. "What were you doing out on the window ledge?"

Tsukiko kept quiet, not sure how to answer such a question besides lying.

"Never mind," he added. "If you don't want to tell me, I won't make you."

"And what are _you_ doing at this time of night?"

"It's none of your business."

_Ugh, is there _anything_ that you two can talk about without keeping to yourselves!?_ said Ryuu with frustration.

After that comment, Tsukiko probed around her mind to think of something to...Wait, why in the world was she being social all of a sudden? Why did she even care to have a conversation with someone?

_You should know the answer to that, Tsukiko._

Tsukiko ignored Ryuu by distracting herself, looking at Gaara for that distraction. She had to admit, if she looked unusual, he was equally unusual. For one, he was carrying a huge gourd on his back. Secondly, he had the ai kanji tattooed on his forehead. The third was that he had dark rings around his eyes.

"Do you get enough sleep," she asked. "Because you look like a raccoon."

"It's obvious, isn't it?"

"So, why don't you sleep?"

"It's nothing you need to know about."

"Well, that's informative," she said sarcastically.

"Why do you have those crescent moons near your eyes," he suddenly asked. "As far as I know, those are far too perfect to be birthmarks."

"I don't have to explain anything to you."

"Then explain this: Why aren't you dead?"

That question felt like a punch to the stomach for her. She looked at him in the eye, her own eyes filled with surprise. Did he know what she was about to do?

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, hiding the anxiety she was currently feeling.

"I don't see life in your eyes. It's almost as if you've slept through your whole life, wasting every day of it. You may be alive physically, but spiritually, you're dead. Do you even have a reason to live?"

"Shut the hell up!" yelled Tsukiko. "You don't know anything about me! No one does! And I'll have you know that I _do_ have a purpose!"

"Is that so," said Gaara, completely unaffected by her sudden temper. "Whatever it is, it's either insignificant or is the cause of why you're like this."

"Be quiet!" she yelled again. "Stop trying to understand me because you can't! Only one person does, and that person is the reason why I live!"

"And who would that person be?"

"It's Ryuu," she said, half-hoping that the answer would scare him away. "My demon."

"You have a demon?"

"Yes," she replied tetchily, looking down at her feet. "It's not a bijuu, but a 'lesser' demon, or so almost everyone in my village says."

"Yet they still see it as a monster."

"Yeah." She looked up at him, giving him a stern look. "So? Aren't you going to run for the hills or something? Kill me?"

"Doing that would make me a hypocrite."

"Are you saying that you...?"

"I also have a demon. What, exactly, is it that you do for Ryuu?"

"Whatever she says. If I don't, she won't talk to me. That probably sounds pathetic to you, but when it's all that you have, you'd do anything to keep it."

Gaara didn't say anything to that. He didn't even know _what_ to say. She was just like him, yet so different. It reminded him of someone else who was also like that. He saw her bring up her knees and hug them, looking toward the horizon. By the look of it, it was painful for her to do such a simple action.

"You're unbelievable," she said, small astonishment in her voice. "No one has ever taken one look at me and know who I really am. And I'm not talking about Ryuu. My own father has never said anything like that to me, even though he sees me almost everyday."

"You've never seen how empty you really were?"

"No, and it makes me wonder why my dad didn't. He's pretty much the only one in the village who loves me, but I can tell that having someone like me as a daughter is making his life difficult."

There was a look of realization on her face, and she let go of her legs, letting them hang over the ledge.

"Why am I even telling you this," she asked. "You probably have enough problems as it is; you don't need to hear someone else's sob story."

"I may have my own problems, but that doesn't mean I can't help anyone else."

"Why do you even _want_ to help someone else? Don't you think you should solve your own problems before taking on another's?"

"Sometimes, you're the only one that can help them. There are thousands of people in the world, and not all of them are willing to help another."

"I'm not a charity case, you know, so don't even try."

"I never said you were."

"Well, I don't need your help. I can do things myself without anyone."

There was a silence between them, another breeze blowing by. "This sure has been fun," said Tsukiko, looking down at her window ledge. "But unlike you, I love to sleep so I'll see you later or something." She jumped down onto the ledge, earning a jolt of pain, and went through her open window. She shut it and walked agonizingly back to her bed. She sat down on it, stiffly brought up her legs, and lied down. A bed had never felt so good until this moment. She let herself relax, and began to think about everything she and Gaara had talked about.

She understood that when you can't save yourself, you either drown or let someone else save you. And she never noticed that she was drowning herself. So many years ago, she was dying from her own pain, until Ryuu offered a hand to save her. She took it, but little did she know that Ryuu had pulled her down into a dark hole, which killed her. Now, someone else is offering their hand, and it's her decision whether to die or be saved. She may be unhappy with her life, but she could change it, not end it. Although, she was disappointed that she had been wasting her life for all these years. Why she had never seen this before was beyond her, but she was glad that someone had opened her eyes.

* * *

Tsukiko tried on the yakuta, hoping it would fit her nicely. She was at a clothing store in search of a new kimono, but she didn't have enough money on her to buy one. She could, however, afford a yakuta. The one she was trying on was all black...And the cheapest. It wasn't normally her style but now wasn't the time to be picky. She needed something to cover up all of the bandages she had on. On her way here, she was being stared at by everyone who was in her presence. She wasn't sure if it was the bandages, her hair, or the lunar markings; it could have been everything above.

"I'll take this one," she said, walking out of the changing room and up to the vendor.

"It looks quite lovely on you," he said with a smile.

Tsukiko reached into the yakuta and pulled out a black velvet pouch. The look on the vendor's face was saying "Where were you keeping that?" Tsukiko ignored his expression and took out the required payment. She handed him the money, put the pouch back in her yakuta, and walked out. She felt better today but was incredibly sore from everything that happened. Though, she wasn't supposed to be out here anyway. The hospital wouldn't let her leave, saying that she was in no condition to even be up. So, she escaped through her window. Easy as that.

_You're not going to look for him, are you?_ asked Ryuu.

"Who do you mean?" Tsukiko thought back.

_You know very well who I mean. And I don't think you should._

"Why?"

_He could have been lying to you from the start, trying to earn your trust. Then when he has it, he's going to demolish you._

"Are you sure you're not being paranoid? What does he have to gain from doing all that?"

_I just don't want you to see him._

"Well, it's not up to you now, is it?"

Ryuu didn't respond to that, making Tsukiko wonder if she had shocked or angered the demon. Either way, she didn't care anymore. For her, it felt nice to not worry about Ryuu for once. And it was enjoyable to finally do the things that _she_ wanted to do, not what Ryuu wanted to do. Finally, she could think and speak for herself.

"Hey, you!" yelled someone from behind. Tsukiko doubted they were talking to her so she kept walking. That is until they yelled "Blue!" at her. She stopped and turned around, wondering who would want to talk to her. A blond-haired girl ran up to her, stopping two or so feet away from her. She was taller than Tsukiko, wearing a purple outfit and carrying a large fan on her back.

"I never guessed that you would be released from the hospital so soon," she said. "I thought you would be in there for a week, at least."

"Who are you?" asked Tsukiko with curiosity.

"I'm Temari," she replied calmly.

"And I'm Tsukiko."

"Nice to meet you. Well, technically, I met you before when my younger brothers and I found you in the desert."

"Younger brothers? Does one of them carry around a gourd? And has dark bags around his eyes?"

"You mean Gaara? You've met him already?"

"Yeah, he almost made me fall of a building."

Temari looked both shocked and speechless, which made Tsukiko rethink what she just said.

"Let me rephrase that," said Tsukiko. "He snuck up on me, which surprised me and almost made me fall off."

"What were you doing at the top of the building in the first place?"

"Getting some fresh air."

"I suppose that's understandable."

"Anyway, do you know where he is?"

"Not really," replied Temari. "But if you come with me, I'm sure he'll show up somewhere."

Temari walked away, Tsukiko hesitantly following her. They walked down a couple streets, making a few turns every once in a while. Eventually, Tsukiko noticed they were near a mansion. And by the look of it, it wasn't an ordinary mansion. It was the Kazekage's.

"Nice place," said Tsukiko, looking up at the large building. "Looks just as big as the Mizukage's."

"Thanks, my brothers and I live here."

"You guys actually live here?"

"My father was the Kazekage."

"Was?" It was then that Tsukiko remembered something about both the Hokage and Kazekage dying in an attack by the Land of Sound. Although, the Kazekage had died some time before the attack, but was killed by the same person who also killed the Hokage. The name, however, had slipped her mind.

"So, who's the current Kazekage?" asked Tsukiko.

"No one at the moment," replied Temari as they walked up to the front door. "But I hope someone will be soon because we need a kage."

They went inside, greeted by a nicely furnished living room. There was a small wooden table in the center of the room, three sets of burgundy couches surrounding the table, an exquisite rug under the furniture that was on cream-colored tile, a large bookcase filled with books that looked more for decoration than reading, scrolls with watercolor paintings of sceneries hanging on the walls, and antique-looking lamps on smaller square tables.

"Wow, you guys have nice taste," complimented Tsukiko.

"Not really. That's been around for as long as I can remember," said Temari, leading Tsukiko to another room. "This room is where we can actually be in. The living room is for looks, if you know what I mean."

This room was not as nice as the living room but decent. The two couches in the room looked a little worn, but still in good condition. Ordinary lamps on aged tables that looked someone had taken them from an alley somewhere. The rug in this room would have looked nice if it weren't for the many stains set in it, some of which Tsukiko could not identify. Now that Tsukiko thought about it, this room was a little below decent. The only thing that looked appealing was a mahogany table set against the farthest wall. The table had a couple of framed pictures on it; most of them were of Kankuro and Temari, and one was of a brown-haired woman.

Tsukiko sat down on one of the couches, Temari sitting across from her. Tsukiko looked down at the coffee table between them, a wooden table with many scratches on it. Temari crossed her legs and sat up straight, making Tsukiko a little self-conscious of her own posture. She ignored the feeling and looked at Temari with confidence.

"So, does your mom tell you to stay away from the living room or what?" asked Tsukiko.

"She would if she were still alive," replied Temari, looking at the pictures.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Tsukiko looked to where Temari was looking at. "Is that her?"

"Yeah," she said, looking back at Tsukiko. "Lately, it's been me and my brothers on our own. And, well, we're not exactly decorating experts."

"I can tell," said Tsukiko without thinking. "But, um, this is way better than my house. My dad has no color coordination whatsoever. Our living room has the most awful color patterns ever. Gray and yellow don't go together."

"That sounds horrible," said Temari with a small chuckle. There was a sound of a door opening and closing, and the sound of footsteps heading towards the room. A boy with spiky brown hair, who was wearing all black, walked into the room.

"What is she doing here?" he asked as he walked to the couch his sister was sitting in and sat down.

"I invited her. Is that a problem?" replied Temari with intimidation.

"No, I was just wondering," he said, putting his feet on the scratched table. "Anyway, shouldn't you be in the hospital?"

"I'm 'supposed' to be, but I don't want to be cooped up in a room for who knows how many days," replied Tsukiko.

"That's pretty gutsy of you, considering that you were almost dead when we found you."

"She _does_ have a name, you know," added Temari.

"Yeah, I know, it's Tsukiko."

"How do you know my name?" asked Tsukiko with amazement.

"Gaara told me. He said we don't have to worry about you because you're not much of a threat."

"Oh, he told you that?" said Tsukiko, half-relieved and half-insulted at the same time.

"That's nice of him to tell you and not me," said Temari.

"Don't be jealous, Temari," said Kankuro with a smile.

"What is your name," asked Tsukiko. "Since you know mine and all."

"It's Kankuro. Now, go tell your village so they know."

"Don't mind him," said Temari, a sigh escaping her mouth. "He's the idiot of the family."

"Like you're so perfect?"

"I never said I was."

"You guys are funny," said Tsukiko with a small smile. "I've never had this much fun back at Kiri."

"No offense, but do you have fun at all back in your village?" asked Kankuro, earning a small punch from Temari.

"Well, it's hard to have fun when everyone keeps a safe distance from you."

"It's your hair, isn't it? It freaks them out?"

"Kankuro, shut up," said Temari, glaring at him. Tsukiko looked at a piece of her hair, wondering if the azure color could freak out some people.

"No, it's not my hair," replied Tsukiko. "It's-"

"The moon marks, right? I mean, those things just scream weird," said Kankuro.

"Kankuro, if you interrupt again, you're going to regret it!" said Temari, obviously aggravated.

"It's more the reason _why_ I have these marks," continued Tsukiko. "See, I have...A demon."

There was surprise in their eyes but it quickly faded away.

"You're okay with that?" asked Tsukiko, taken aback by their reaction.

"Well, our brother does have a demon of his own," said Temari. "We're pretty much used to it. But you don't go around killing people, do you?"

"Um..." Tsukiko began to think back on all the things she did for Ryuu. The worst thing was that she killed those ANBU the day before. "Would it make you feel better if I told you the last person I killed was yesterday?"

"Actually, no," replied Kankuro.

"Then forget I said that," said Tsukiko as innocently as she could. "Nice of you to join us." Temari and Kankuro were a little confused by the last statement until they looked at the doorway and saw Gaara standing there.

"How did you know he was standing there?" asked Kankuro.

"I was ready for him this time. You're a stealthy one, aren't you?" said Tsukiko with a smirk, looking over at Gaara.

"Why is she here?" asked Gaara to Kankuro and Temari.

"Temari invited her," replied Kankuro.

"Since when is it a crime to invite people over?" said Temari.

"You should go back to the hospital soon," said Gaara, looking at Tsukiko. "I'm quite sure that you weren't allowed to leave in the first place."

"True," said Tsukiko. "But I hate hospitals and it's incredibly boring over there."

"It's for your own good."

"I don't have to listen to you now, do I?"

The both of them glared at each other; Temari and Kankuro looking a little uneasy from all the intense energy in the room. Tsukiko then looked away, closing her eyes as she did so, and smiled lightly.

"Okay," she said, getting up from the couch and walking to the door. "I know when I'm not wanted. I'll be going then." She looked over her shoulder back at the three of them. "But I won't be going back to the hospital. Tonight, I'm sleeping under the stars." She gave a small smile as she let herself out. Once she was outside, her smile disappeared. She walked away from the mansion, wondering _where_, exactly, will she be sleeping under the stars.

She was a little disappointed that her first attempt in trying to be friendly had resulted like this. She supposed that it just wasn't meant to be. Well, Kankuro and Temari seemed to like having her around. Gaara, on the other hand, was more difficult. Or was she the one being difficult? Not that it mattered now since she won't be staying in Suna for long. By tomorrow, her wounds will be completely healed and she could leave. Better yet, she won't have to come back to this village.

* * *

She looked up at the dark night sky, taking in the view of the stars and full moon. Tsukiko was lying down at the moment on the top of a cliff, her head resting against her hands to keep it from the rocky surface. From the way she was laying, she was facing the desert with her back against Suna. Actually, that would make better sense if she were standing up, which she obviously wasn't doing.

A cold breeze blew by, reminding her of Kiri. The air there was normally cool, and the temperature dropped significantly during winter. Sometimes, if the village was lucky, it would snow, a light blanket of ice covering the ground. For as long as she could remember, she had always loved the snow.

"_Dad! Wake up! It's snowing outside!" said a five-year old Tsukiko to her father, who was sleeping on a bed big enough for two but slept by himself. _

"_Tsukiko, let me sleep," he said tiredly, his voice slightly muffled by the pillow he was lying on._

"_But I want you to play with me in the snow," she said with disappointment._

"_Tell your brother to take you outside to play. I'm really exhausted today."_

"_Okay," she said, walking out of her father's room. She wore a white kimono with violet floral designs. She quietly walked to her brother's room, peering in hesitantly. He wasn't inside. She began to wonder where he was until she heard the wooden floor creak not too far away from her. She looked at where the sound came from, seeing her brother walk towards his room._

"_Can you take me outside to play?" she asked timidly. "Dad told me to ask you."_

_Noboru looked to be considering this, until he shrugged. "Fine," he said, walking into his room. Tsukiko smiled as she walked to the front door, waiting for Noboru there. He finally came, opening the door for her to go outside. Tsukiko rushed out, feeling quite happy that somebody will play with her. The snow fell down gently, leaving only enough snow to last for a day until it melted. The cold clean air filled Tsukiko's lungs, enjoying the chill. She looked at her brother, who was standing quietly._

"_What do you want to do?" she asked him, wondering what kind of ideas he might have._

"_Dad only told me to take you out to play. That doesn't mean I have to play _with_ you," he said coldly, just like the air. He turned and walked away, not back to the house but somewhere else, somewhere far away from her. Tsukiko quietly watched him walk away, his footprints in the snow slowly disappearing. When he was gone from her sight, she sighed, seeing the cloudy mist escape her mouth. She crouched down, picking up a small handful of snow and watching it melt to water in her hand. She then heard the sound of footsteps on the snow, hoping that her brother had changed his mind._

_Unfortunately, it was a couple who were enjoying a stroll through the snowfall. They seemed very happy to be with one another, but not with her. As soon as they noticed her, the joyful look in their eyes quickly changed into hatred, a burning hatred that could probably melt the snow. Tsukiko immediately backed away from them, fearing that their hatred might drive them to harm her. When they were finally far enough away from her, she looked up at the falling snow. She began to wonder if, like the snow, she could melt away and become something else, something entirely different and more likable._

Tsukiko mentally pulled away from that far-off memory. It only reminded her of how numb she was not too long ago compared to the vivacity of her younger self. Gaara suddenly appeared, looking down at her with faint curiosity.

"Aren't you cold?" he finally asked.

"Oh, please, I live in the cold," she replied, getting up. "And I was just starting to get comfortable too."

"That sarcasm of yours is getting rather tiring."

"Your inability to express the simplest of emotions is getting tiring," she hit back at him.

He glared at her, which she took as a small victory for herself.

"Anyway, why are you here?" she asked him, ignoring his glare.

"My siblings want you to stay at the mansion for the night."

"_They_ want me to, but what about you? I would like to know your opinion."

"It's fine with me."

"I figured since I'm not a threat. Well, I'll accept the offer because it's not like I'll kill anyone in their sleep, not that you sleep."

"There is a question I would like for you to answer."

"And what would that be?"

"Why is it that you hate hospitals?"

"That's an easy one. Hospitals make me feel sick and being sick means someone has to take care of you. I personally hate being sick and dependent on people."

"That explains why you refuse to accept someone else's help."

"Yeah," she said, looking away. She then looked back up at him, a small smile on her face. "But a good push in the right direction is something I _can_ accept."

* * *

**_"Bring Me to Life" and "Haunted" by Evanescence helped provide inspiration for this chapter. Some of you probably didn't notice that I started a rewrite until now. But that's okay, as long as someone is reading this, I'm fine. It will make me happy, though, if you could leave a review for me. Everyone has an opinion and I'm open to hear them all, even flames._**


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